Saprotrophs (Kingdom Fungi)

SAPROTROPHS

(Thriving on Decay)

Meaning:

A saprophyte or saprotroph may be decaying pieces of plants or animals. This means that saprophytes are heterotrophs. They are consumers in the food chain. Many bacteria and protozoa are also saprophytes. Most dead organic matter is eventually broken down and used by bacteria and fungi. Other terms, such as saprotroph or saprobe may be used instead of saprophyte. Strictly speaking, -phyte means plant. The problem is that no embryophytes (land plants) are true saprotrophs, and bacteria and fungi are no longer considered plants.

(Source: simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saprophyte)

Saprotrophs Importance

Saprotrophic mushrooms are decomposers. They release acids and enzymes that break down dead tissue into smaller molecules they can absorb. Thus decaying wood, plants, and even animals can become food for a saprotroph. 

(Source: www.mushroom-appreciation.com/types-of-mushroom.html)

Saprotrophic fungi are those that obtain their nutrition from non-living organic materials. it is difficult to overstate the importance of fungal saprotrophs in most environments. Their hyphae allow them to forcibly penetrate most solid materials and their extracellular enzymes allow them digest them. Fungi can attack solid material like leaves and wood that are not easily available to the single-celled bacteria. 

(Source: website.nbm-mnb.ca/mycologywebpages/NaturalHistoryOfFungi/Saprotrophs.html)

By:Donessa E. Borja

Bacillus (Kingdom Monera)

BACILLUS 

(A type of Bacillus bacteria)

Bacillus Anthracis, a not so helpful bacteria that can cause human and animals a horrible disease that forms spores that highly resisted. Anthrax usually occurs/infect animals, but human can get this diseases by eating the meat of an animals that already defected. Anthrax can be turned into a kind of weapon. Now, anthrax based weapons are one of the most dangerous terrorist weapons.

OTHER USEFUL STRAINS OF BACILLUS: Bacilli relative that fights against fungal infections:

There are some strains make antibiotics w/c fight against plants fungal pathogens. They are also used to control "damping off" disease of plants. Strain of Bacillus goes through dehydration process w/c creates steroids. Steroids are one of very in preventing premature abortion, dealing with disorders of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives.

This organism is not made or happened by chance and it is not involved in evolution w/c one organism evolve into another. There is one creator who made this Bacillus for a purpose, this bacteria can cause illness so that one group of organisms will not overpopulate the earth. Our creator created for our own good.

(Source: ericaandkevin.pbworks.com/w/page/6087169/Interesting%20Facts)

Bacillus - a genus of rod-shaped, beta-hemolytic Gram-positive bacteria and a member of the division Firmicutes.Classification: Class, Taxon, Species, GenusClass: "Bacillaceae, Bacillales, Bacilli, Firmicutes"Parent Class: Genus, Taxon, Species, BacilliGram: Positive BacteriaTypes: Bacilli, Firmicutes, BacillalesFamily: Bacillus subtile, Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus megaterium, Howard Taylor Ricketts

Bacillaceae Kingdom:

Bacteria - OrderBacillales - PhylumFirmicutes - Scientific Name

(Source: www.evi.com/g/facts-about-bacillus)

By: Jonah Demetillo

Endophytes (Kingdom Fungi)

ENDOPHYTES

Endophytes may benefit host plants by preventing pathogenic organisms from them. Extensive colonization of the plant tissue by endophyes creates a colonizing barrier effect, where the local endophytes out complete and prevent pathogenic organisms from taking hold. Endophytes may also produce chemicals which inhibit the growth of competitors, including pathogenic organisms. Some bacterial endophytes have been proven to increase plant growths and it help plants survive drought and heat.

The wide range of compounds produced by endophytes have been shown to combat pathogens and even cancers in animals including humans. The wide range of compounds produced by endophytes have been shown to combat pathogens and even cancers in animals including humans. One notable endophyte with medicinal benefits to humans was discovered by Gary Strobel: Pestalotiopsis microspora, an endophytic fungus of Taxuswallachiana (Himalayan Yew) was found to produce taxol.

It is speculated that there may be many thousands of endophytes useful to mankind but since there are few scientists working in this field, and since forests and areas of biodiversity are rapidly being destroyed, many useful endophytes for curing disease might be permanently lost for medicinal use before they are discovered. The effects of climate change on endophytes is being investigated. Studies of plants grown at different climates or at increased carbon dioxide levels have different distributions of endophytic species.

(Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endophyte)

By: Wynzyl T. Mendiola

Snails (Kingdom Animalia)

SNAILS

In the beginning.... Snails have soft, fragile shell already when they hatch from their tiny eggs. It breaks free, then ravenously eats the eggshell it had escaped just moments before. The calcium-rich eggshell activates the hardening of the snail's soft, fragile shell, which is very important for survival. It's likely that the parent snail laid the eggs with food nearby, also a good thing because they are ravenous  and will eat large amounts right away. 

(Source: Michael MeCoilum)

Snail shells are made of calcium carbonate. Well, that's the quick and simple answer. In reality, however, nothing that evolution has ever created can be explained away so simplistically. And snail shells are no exception. So, here is a slightly  more detailed answer. Snail shells are indeed made of mostly calcium carbonate, but that's not all they contain. They also contain small amounts of protein. Basically, the shell consists of calcium carbonate crystals organized within a matrix of protein. But the reality is still more complicated than that. Calcium carbonate crystallizes in 2 principal forms, aragonite and calcite, and what form is present in a particular shell may depend on several factors. For example, the crystal type in the shell of the land snail Helix pomatia is normally aragonite, but calcite has also been found in repaired areas of shell. The shells of many marine snails and bivalves normally contain calcite. Moreover, the shells of many aquatic as well as land snails are covered on the outside by a hard, skin-like layer of protein that is called the periostracum.

Here is a simple way to demonstrate that the composition of snail shells is mostly calcium carbonate. When calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolves in any commom acid, carbon dioxide (Co2) is generated. So, for example, the dissolution of CaCO3 in acetic acid (CH3COO) can be represented as follows. CaCO3 + 2CH3COOH -----> Ca(CH3COO)2 + H2O + CO2 Calcium acetate (Ca(CH3COO)2) is sluble in water and that's why a shell placed in acetic acid will eventually completely dissolve away. What happens to carbon dioxide? It bubbles out of the solution. And that's how one tells-by noticing the bubbles forming of the surface of the shell--that the shell is made of calcium carbonate. 

(Source: snailstales.blogspot.com/2005/.../snail-shells-are-made-of-this.html)

Calcium carbonate is one of the most common minerals in the earth's crust. Yes,  you can find it everywhere but to organized with protein is hard to explain. When an evolutionist try to analyst, how thus snail's shell was form, he will say "This was just happened by a chance". But if you really try to analyst and search for more complicated ideas, unexpected facts will somehow formed. To form a snail's shell, many steps will happen first and it will not happen by only a chance.

FACTS!

> If snail's shells existing by only a chance, there are possibilities that shells will not be perfectly made because somehow, lacking of carbon carbonate will really happen, or not a snail shell will be form.

> If snails shells are formed with a designer, the snail will really formed perfectly as it was designed by the creator.

>In the beginning of this snail's life cycle, the snail's shell measures 1/4 inch across. Very tiny, but will grow rapidly from it's incessant appetite.

How do snail's reproduce? 

If you are entering into the wild world of snails, you will also begin to notice that the way in which they are built has allowed for their survival through centuries.  One of the ways in which this has continued to build is through the abilities to reproduce by these creatures.  The different features and ways in which they can do this also provides them with the capacity to keep slugging on the land. 

Reproductive make-up of snails.

Snails will be able to reproduce differently than almost any other type of creature because of their species and their make-up.  This begins with the build that all snails have.  Snails are considered to be hermaphrodites.  This means that every snail will have both male and female reproductive organs.  This is especially consistent among land snails and most marine snails.  The only snails that have not adapted this attribute is some freshwater and marine species, specifically including Apple Snails and periwinkles.  These two types of snails still have a separate male and female species. 
All snails will be considered sexually mature by the time they are one year old.  This is because the life span of most species does not last for more than five to seven years, allowing for a faster growth rate of the species.  The make-up of the snails will include their reproductive organs on the side of their body.  This is close to the top of their body as well, allowing for easier abilities to mate and to grow the baby snails. 

FACTS!

>As a snail grows its shell grows too

>Snails hibernate in winter

>They can mate when they are about one year old

>Snails are related to slugs.

>There are more than 7000 species of snails and slugs.

>Snails eat plants with their tongues. There are thousands of tiny teeth on a snail's tongue, or radula. A snail also grinds up small pieces of rock with its radula to get minerals it need for a strong healthy shell.

>Snails can live for one or two years.

  By: Joyce Launio